Your Story: ‘Clean’ drivers wanted for HEMP protesters

Many of the protesters going to Lismore next Monday are vulnerable if their saliva is tested so Nimbins HEMP Embassy is asking for 'clean' drivers to help others get to the protest.

If drivers have spare seats and it suits they can connect outside the Embassy at 9 am next Monday to give lifts or contact your friends and fill the car, we suggest.

It's time for cannabis users to speak up if they can.

Saliva testing is disastrous for many of us and there's millions of us across Australia who mostly keep their illegal habits very quiet.

Understandably because you lose your job, amongst other stigma.

These tests are changing drug trends. The tests are only for pot, amphetamines and MDMA so people will use other drugs which are not tested. The tests have nothing to do with impaired driving.

Cannabis is uniquely fat soluble and stays in our blood for months, our urine for weeks and our saliva for days. No other drugs do this. First it was sniffer dogs and now saliva testing. I mean, no one smokes weed at a music festival anymore do they?

It's all pills, unknown chemical mixes.

The police are doing their job too well if you like. They may mean well but they are pushing people into deeper water with their dogs and saliva tests.

The question needs to be asked how come the police are in charge of drug policy? Are they the experts? They have a major conflict of interest as half their work is fighting the drug war. How much of this is about jobs?

There are more than a thousand arrests a week in Australia for cannabis. Arrest and jail numbers are at record levels. Where does it stop?

Malcolm Turnbull could make the difference. He smoked weed, clearly enjoyed it and should understand more than the average Liberal politician who he needs to educate.

Maybe he needs a National Drug Summit along the line of Bob Carr's in 1999. Bring in some experts from overseas where they've changed directions on cannabis policing and let's hear how it's going.

The saliva test is for any amount of cannabis, there's no level like .05 for alcohol. The test is for presence of THC, not quantity. Hempseed can set it off or passive smoke from a friend.

I'm not interested in blame, ignorance is the problem.

The police and politicians still believe the Reefer Madness lies it seems and its true, the sins of the fathers last six generations.

No other country is doing tests like this and no other country has banned eating highly nutritious hempseed because of the tests.

Medical Cannabis users across Australia need to lobby and educate their local MPs over the holidays ahead of the imminent Canberra announcement on their medicine of choice when Parliament returns next year.

Drivers are needed on Monday morning at 9am in front of Nimbins HEMP Embassy to assist others to get to the protest without testing positive.